CHP Officer Hit On 405 Dies Two Weeks Later

A California Highway Patrol officer who was struck two weeks ago by a motorist driving on the shoulder of the 405 to avoid traffic died in a hospital Tuesday at the age of 48.

Officer Phillip Ortiz was conducting a traffic stop on his motorbike shortly after 8:30 a.m. on June 9 when he was hit be an Infinity moving up the shoulder of northbound lanes near National Boulevard in an area called Westside Village. He suffered cardiac arrest and spent the last two weeks in a coma at Ronald Regan UCLA Medical Center before passing at 5:50 p.m. Tuesday, according to CHP officials.

The crash investigation continued, and no charges had been recommended yet by the CHP.

A 28-year veteran of the CHP, Ortiz is survived by his wife, parents and sister.

"On behalf of all Californians, Maria and I extend our deepest sympathies to Philip's family and loved ones as they mourn the tragic loss of this outstanding officer,'' Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger stated Tuesday evening. "He committed 28 years of his life to protecting the safety of Californians, and his selflessness in the line of duty will be remembered forever.''

Dennis Romero has worked on staff at several magazines and newspapers, including the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Los Angeles Times, where he participated in Pulitzer Prize-winning coverage of the L.A. riots. His work has appeared in Rolling Stone online, the Guardian, and, as a
young stringer, the New York Times.